I'm back with another chapter!! It's a little closer to the oh-so-close ball. Um... I'd just like to say that I hope that people haven't forgotten about my fic and that all the people that had to go back to school had a good week! WOOOOOOOOOOOOO SCHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!!!!!!!
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Girl Meets Prince
By Louann1
Chapter 8: Looking Through A Servant's Eyes
After Meiling had gotten her brilliant idea she went straight away to the hotel Sakura and Tomoyo were staying in. She couldn't wait. She was positive that it would work perfectly.
" I'm telling you. It's prefect!"
" I'm not so sure," Sakura replied.
" Why?" Meiling asked. " You get the opportunity to get in the palace before the ball."
" We know but... It seems a bit hard," Tomoyo replied.
" Hard? It's easy! All you have to do is take an interview and do whatever your superior tells you," Meiling did her best to persuade them but could see that they weren't really impressed.
" It's easier than actually passing yourself off as a princess," Meiling gave them a look.
" I guess it is," Sakura replied.
" Great! The interviews will be held sometime tomorrow. I'll take you there myself," Meiling smiled.
" Um... OK?" Sakura squeaked. Meiling really had her mind set on this. Sakura wasn't so sure about her plan. Wouldn't working in a the palace mean more work. Isn't it always the way? You think of something to say after the conversation had ended and kick yourself for not saying it in the first place.
" Great! I'll see you tomorrow!" Meiling piped.
The Next Day At The Palace...
" Are you willing to keep a vow of secrecy?"
" Absolutely," Tomoyo replied.
" Have you ever done manual labor before?"
" Yes," Sakura said nervously.
" Are you willing to work 14 hours for the next 3 days?"
" Yes," Tomoyo replied.
" Then your work will begin immediately. You are assigned to scrub the floors of the main hall. The necessary equipment is provided."
" I'll show them the way," Meiling said confidently behind them.
" Off you go then," The interviewer told them.
" Thank you," Sakura said.
" Follow me," Meiling told them. Sakura and Tomoyo stood up and followed Meiling down several doors and hallways.
" See? I told you it was easy to get in!"
" This place is beautiful!" Tomoyo admired.
" And really massive," Sakura commented. She was worried that she would get lost.
" I still can't believe that you're wearing those clothes," Meiling looked at their frilly black and white uniform.
" The interviewer said that we had to wear them 'at all times'," Sakura mimicked the interviewer. Meiling and Tomoyo giggled.
" Here we are. The Grand Hall," Meiling opened the heavily decorated doors and showed them and massive room. It was decorated with fine antiques and the floor was made of marble that reflected the lights the gold candles and the glistening chandelier gave.
" We have to wash this?" Sakura moaned. " It'll take us ages!"
" You better start," Meiling told them. " You still have to work for at least a day."
" I guess you're right," Sakura supposed.
" Come on, Sakura," Tomoyo grabbed a bucket filled with cleaning products and began to scrub the floor at one end of the room.
" See you later Meiling," Sakura told her.
" Bye," Meiling left them and closed the doors.
14 Hours Later...
" My arms are soo tired," Sakura moaned.
" We still aren't finished," Tomoyo told her.
Just then the doors opened and a tall woman walked in. She had a pale complexion and long jet black hair. She wore clothes of fine silk and her lips were blood red. After her Syaoran walked in, Sakura was working near them when the entered. She continued scrubbing and listened closely to what they were saying.
" What are we doing here?" He asked.
" In 3 days a ball will be held in this very room. Princesses and girls of the uppermost class will attend," Yelan told him.
" What's the point?" Syaoran asked.
" You will choose a girl and ask her for her hand in marriage," Yelan replied.
" But I'm 14," Syaoran told her.
" You WILL attend and you WILL ask a girl for her hand in marriage," Yelan commanded.
" But I won't know any of them. I won't LOVE any of them," Syaoran shouted.
" Don't you dare take that tone with me! I am doing this all for you! You want to love? Then love someone respectable!" Yelan yelled.
" I do! Sakura is respectable!" Syaoran screamed back. Syaoran looked at Sakura who was entranced by their conversation. Sakura was about to say something but she realized that he was looking right through her. She could see that to him she was just another servant. She was touched by his words but couldn't believe he ignored her. She got back to scrubbing the floor clean.
" No she isn't," Yelan told him. " She is a commoner. There are plenty of girls more respectable than her here in China. You two are an ocean apart. There is no way the country will respect you! You are dismissed!"
" I don't care about the country's respect," Syaoran whispered under his breath. Syaoran left and disappeared from view.
" Wei!" Yelan called.
" Yes, Your Highness?" Wei bowed.
" Tell the florists to bring the flowers," Yelan replied.
" Yes," We bowed and left.
Yelan walked to Sakura and told her,
" Stand up."
Sakura stood up straight.
" What's your name?" Yelan asked sweetly.
" Um... S- Sa... Sara," Sakura stuttered.
" Sara... You're very pretty," Yelan told her.
" Th-Thank you," Sakura replied.
" I saw you looking at my son. Do you find him attractive?" Yelan asked. Sakura gulped,
" Um... Y-yes?"
" That settles it," Yelan's voice changed. " During the ball you will be assigned to duties far from here!"
Yelan walked out and left Sakura shaken.
" Are you OK?" Tomoyo asked.
" I've been better. Being a servant is tougher than I thought," Sakura replied.
" At least we finished now," Tomoyo said optimistically.
" Yep, come on. Tomorrow is another day," Sakura said and picked up her bucket.
The Following Day...
" These are your duties for the following days up to and including the ball. You will be doing those jobs. Swapping and skipping jobs is unacceptable! You may go to your first job," The superior told them. There were at least 30 girls in uniform ready to work. One by one they piled out of the room and looked at their timetables.
" Look at this! I have the worst timetable! It's so far away from the hall and Syaoran!" Sakura showed Tomoyo the paper. Just then her superior asked the girls,
" Is there a Sara?"
" Sakura, she means you!" Tomoyo whispered.
" Oh right. Yes! That's me," Sakura called out.
" Her Highness has requested to speak to you on the day of the ball. Understood?"
" Yes," Sakura replied and went to her first job with Tomoyo.
In The Kitchen...
" Do you think they'll use the silver?" Sakura asked as she polished a silver spoon.
" Probably not," Tomoyo replied. " But we still have to do our job."
" Yep. I just didn't know that a part of it is to polish over 1000 pieces of cutlery," Sakura said as she picked up a fork.
" You have to remember that over 500 people are attending," Tomoyo replied.
" Do you think we'll get this done in time?" Sakura plopped the fork on top of the silvery mound that they had built out of cutlery.
" I think so," Tomoyo replied optimistically. " Besides I don't really think that we have a choice."
" I guess you're right," Sakura said.
" Come on people! You can't seriously say that! You're not even here to work!" Meiling appeared behind them.
" Hoe? Meiling! Do you always do that?" Sakura gasped.
" Sorry. Anyway... What I just said," Meiling replied.
" Huh?" Sakura asked.
" The thing about working," Tomoyo whispered.
" Oh right," Sakura replied.
" I thought you were here to get Syaoran," Meiling said.
" I am..." Sakura trailed off.
" Then why are you worried about doing your job?" Meiling asked.
" I'm not... OK I guess I am worried about doing my job," Sakura told her.
" It's not like you need money," Meiling said.
" Well... No. I don't need money," Sakura said.
" So what are you doing?!" Meiling yelled. " Sorry. I'm a bit hot-headed."
" It's OK. I guess I can't do that," Sakura admitted.
" Then we just have to come up with another plan," Meiling said.
" I think I have one," Tomoyo spoke up.
" Does it include hard work?" Sakura moaned.
" Sort of," Tomoyo grinned. " But trust me. It'll work... I hope. But first we have to finish polishing!!"
" Awww!!" Sakura moaned.
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Another chapter over, ending with someone with an idea. Trust me though, I promise the next one won't turn out that way. It's almost over (sniff sniff)!! Please review!! It really does make writing fics worthwhile. Hey, if you don't believe me then ask any author. I've already written half of the next chapter so it'll be up pretty soon!
